The Demon Lord and the Human Geiko
by Lilith VanDini
Summary: He was a powerful Demon Lord, she a human Geiko. Will he finally find love? Will she finally find her place in the world? A classic fairy tale of true love and the obstacles it can overcome.
1. Chapter 1

He was a Chinese Lord and a powerful Inu Daiyokai. She was a beautiful human Geiko sent from Japan as a gift from the Demon Lord's father. At first, Lord Sesshoumaru had denied her company harshly, snarling and growling and nipping at her. He wasn't the type to get close to people and the very idea that his father had gone as far as to buy him a human Geiko, of all beings, irritated him to no end. He did not need a companion or the company of a woman. He wanted to be left alone to think, meditate and brood as he usually did. And he certainly did not need to be bothered with the obligation to entertain a woman, human or otherwise.

But there was something special about this human Geiko. Ever since she arrived at his Shiro, his inner yokai had become enticed by merely looking at her and smelling her scent. ' _Rainwater, wildflowers, grass, trees... She smells of spring...'_ It wasn't that the human smelled overly attractive, is was simply that his inner-self did not totally recoil at the girl's scent. Which, for Lord Sesshoumaru, was unusual. In nearly 700 years he had never scented something so... Relaxing. It unnerved him every time the woman would pass by his shoji or he would enter a room she had recently been in.

It was physically unnoticeable to others around him but his inner demon would stop momentarily, to sniff her out, to relish in the scent before they proceeded onto whatever mundane task was next on their list for the day.

It wasn't just her scent either, she didn't seem to fear him. More like she was intrigued by him, she had this need to know him, to figure him out. And not for mating purposes like most woman, she was simply curious about him. For some reason, her curiosity toward him did not upset him, more like enticed. He too was curious about her, she was proving to be very hard for this Sesshoumaru to unravel and read. Which for him was not typical, he had never before fallen into the world of the unknown like he had when it came to this human Geiko.

It had taken many weeks of being thrown out of the room, growled at, snarled at, even nipped at before finally Sesshoumaru allowed the girl to stay within his presence. He would not look at her, at least, she did not catch his stolen glances. He would not speak to her or allow her to touch him but he would listen as she babbled on and on about the most interesting things Sesshoumaru had ever heard a woman speak of.

She was well trained in the arts, as most Geiko were expected to be. However, this human woman wanted nothing to do with the arts, no matter how good she might be at fan dancing or shamisen. She wanted to be a Miko or a Ninja. Such topics always made Sesshoumaru want to laugh but, he would choke these foreign impulses down as he listened to her.

The human Geiko was sitting on her knees on a cushion just below Lord Sesshoumaru's throne. She had a white and red silk kimono on, her hair was laying in loose sheets around her back and framing her beautiful face. Her cheeks were rosy as she sipped her cup of sake and continued to babble, a far too happy and comfortable smile on her painted lips.

Sesshoumaru had to force himself to look away from those lips as she continued their one-sided conversation. It was becoming more and more difficult to look away from her these days. The more time he allowed himself to spend in the Geiko's presence, the more his inner beast fought against him. But, he just couldn't stay away from her any longer, her company was oddly pleasing somehow.

"I think women should be allowed to do as they please. Why can't a human woman be a fierce warrior or in a position of power? We birth babies." She shook her head in anger as she took another sip and raising a fist to the men she thought of as she spoke. "Men could never do that because they are weak!"

"Hn..." Was his response to her declaration. His first audible response in nearly a month. Also, he was agreeing with her.

Rin gasped, clearly shocked as she turned her gaze towards him, searching the golden eyes that were staring down into her chestnut pools for the first time. Rin blinked as she crawled up the steps to where Sesshoumaru's throne was sitting. She moved slowly, never taking her eyes from his as she cautiously got closer to him. She stopped just before his knees and straightened herself, staring intently back at him, a sheepish grin on her red lips.

"So he does speak..." She chided, an involuntary giggle escaping her.

Sesshoumaru stared back at her for a moment longer, not sure how to respond to her closeness or her chiding tone. No other living being, besides his own mother, would dare breach his personal bubble like this, and they surely would not mock him. He wouldn't admit it aloud but, that was something he definitely liked about her. This human woman was bound to keep him busy, no matter what their relationship turned into, if it did in fact, ever turn into anything at all. He blinked, averting his eyes from hers, the jade, dragon-shaped candle holder on the wall beside him suddenly becoming very interesting to the Demon Lord.

"It is hard to speak to one such as yourself. I have not been able to get a word in edgewise..." His rich baritone voice seemed to echo around the room they were in, sending shivers down the Geiko's silk clad body. She blinked at him as she slowly recovered from the shock caused by the beautiful sound of his voice. A few moments of silence passed between them before she fell at his feet in a fit of giggles, the sake clearly taking over the situation.

Sesshoumaru's gaze found her again. Her long ebony hair was fanned out beneath her, her slender, tightly wrapped, silk-clad frame was trembling with humor. Her usually pale cheeks rosy from the drink and her chestnut brown eyes were closed as she laughed at him. He growled at her, even though his inner beast lay dormant, apparently not bothered in the slightest by her reaction. "And what, might I ask, is so funny?"

The Geiko stopped almost immediately, sitting up and bowing her head to her lord. "M.. haha... M'lord... I am sorry... I thought you were mute or something..." She took a steadying breath, fighting down more giggles. "When I couldn't get you to respond to me, I asked the servants about you but... hehe... They all seem too terrified of you to divulge any information to me." She reported that last part as if she found it funny that anyone would ever fear the demon lord.

 _'As they should be... But why is she not fearful?'_ "And you are not afraid of me, Geiko?"

The Geiko looked annoyed now. "My name is Rin, my Lord." She retorted curtly, her eye twitching slightly as she responded.

"That does not answer my question, _Geiko_." Lord Sesshoumaru replied, putting extra emphasis on the word Geiko. The slightest of smirks playing with the corner of his lips as he challenged her.

Rin sighed in annoyance before bowing again and standing. She held their gaze for a moment, challenging back. "Fearing what I do not understand is a very human concept. I repel all things human, my Lord. They are destructive and foolish beings." She stated simply before turning on her heel and walking, like the proud and graceful Geiko she was, away from him. The last thing she heard before slamming his shoji shut behind her was Sesshoumaru's "Hn..."

Rin smiled to herself as she walked down the long corridor to her bed chambers. It was slow going, but progress was indeed being made. She was happy with the events of the night.

Sesshoumaru stared at the closed Shoji, the echo of the wood slamming together still ringing in his sensitive ears. His inner beast was riled up now, half wanting to chase her down and put her in her place. However, he couldn't be totally angry by her actions. Her attitude toward him left him oddly excited. "Strange..." He mused to himself as he stood and stretched before following her out.

Sesshoumaru followed her scent down the corridor, his feet seemingly moving on their own accord. He stopped just outside her bed chambers, he rested his hand against the wood frame of the door. ' _Rainwater and wildflowers... I wonder if she tastes as delicious as she smells...'_ Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he backed away from her shoji and turned on his heel and disappeared down the hallway.

He slammed his own shoji shut, nearly trampling a servant in his haste to hide. He slid down the wall of his bedchamber, clutching his chest with his claws and breathing heavily. His molten honey eyes bleeding pink as he tried to beat his inner yokai down. ' _What the hell was that about?'_

 _ **I want her... This Rin...**_

 _'The Geiko? You cannot be serious...'_

 _ **Her name is Rin.**_

 _'Her name is irrelevant...'_

 _ **Not to me. It is a very nice name... It suits her.**_

 _'You have lost your mind if you think I will allow you to have the human as your lover. She is human!'_

 _ **Her name is Rin and she will be our mate, whether you like it or not. You do not get to choose. I do...**_

 _'I will not allow this!'_

 _ **You are not in control here. You do not get to choose.**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **I bet she does taste nice...**_

"Enough of this!" Sesshoumaru growled at himself as he stood and walked to the balcony and took flight. He needed air, needed to think. He couldn't get away from his inner yokai but he could get his inner yokai away from the Geiko. At least for the night.

Rin dressed for bed. All the while humming to herself immensely pleased with her triumph. Failing, though, to grasp the full extent of said triumph.


	2. Giving In

**Giving In**

It had been weeks since Rin had been permitted to entertain her Lord and she was becoming more and more irritated with the situation. She had only just begun to make a little headway and then suddenly he was avoiding her at all costs. Lord Sesshoumaru was also the only 'companion' she had here in the west and she was becoming quite melancholy in his absence. She was lonely.

But, the more she persisted and pursued him, the more he avoided her. He wouldn't even acknowledge her if she passed him in the hallway, or out on the grounds. He had also refused to allow her to eat meals with him or enter his throne room for entertainment; which Rin found very odd because she knew that he secretly enjoyed her fan dancing. She had caught the Demon Lord stealing quick glances at her on more than one occasion.

She had spent many a night sitting in her room in contemplation on his sudden revert back to his old ways. But, she just couldn't figure out the cause.

 _'Had what I said to him really upset him? He didn't seem upset... He seemed... Captivated... Did I misread him? Maybe I've lost my touch...'_

She had gone through extensive training to make it as a Geiko; In fact, the training of a Geiko never really ended. She was always studying or practicing something in her spare time. She had been trained, not only as an entertainer and artist but also in the ways of men and attraction.

She had also been thoroughly briefed on all of the information about Sesshoumaru that his Father had to offer. Sesshoumaru didn't know this but, she had known all along which buttons and nerves to strike to get his attention. If the information she was given was indeed accurate, she couldn't see where she had gone wrong. She had played every card in her hand at exactly the right moment.

 _'And it worked... For a moment... But, only for that one moment...'_

What was even more upsetting to the young Geiko was that it didn't just irritate her that she was being rejected. True, this had begun because Toga had paid off all of her debts and she was now a free woman because of him. And he hadn't even requested to be her danna. All he wanted in return was that she woo his son so that he would no longer be alone. But, this was never a game to her. She had hoped to find love in the mighty Demon Lord and she had. Her heart hurt from his absence and she missed him terribly.

This knowledge upset her as well. _'When did I fall for him? How did that even happen? We've had one conversation since I've been here...'_ But, even thinking these thoughts she knew, in the back of her mind, that words were not everything and they certainly were not Sesshoumaru-sama's forte. It was more like... A feeling she got when she was with him. Like, somehow, they were connected. Like they had always been connected. It was strange and unearthly and exciting and terrifying. _'I just wish he'd at least let me sit with him again...'_ She felt safe and at home within his presence. Being without him was making her exceedingly uneasy.

It was dark, the full moon the only light on the grounds at this late hour. The air was cool and dewy, everything around her was still and quiet. It was becoming harder and harder for Rin to sleep the past few nights and she had completely given up this night. She wore a thin, black yukata and bare feet. Her hair fanned out behind her as she lay in the grass, staring up at the moon.

Rin sighed heavily and closed her eyes for a moment. Perhaps she could sleep here, in the grass. She giggled at this ludicrous thought.

"What is funny now?" A deep and beautiful voice crashed through her silent night, bringing her from her private thoughts. Butterflies filled her stomach and her heart swelled at the sound.

Rin opened her eyes and smiled up at her lord. "I was just thinking I might have better luck sleeping out here. It's much more comfortable." She tilted her head slightly back, looking up at him upside down as she giggled again.

Sesshoumaru had his hands behind his back, his mokomoko was curling around his feet, the very tip was twitching toward the woman on the ground, his inner demon desperate to touch her. His face remained impassive and stoic as usual as he watched the strange human, barely clothed, laying in the grass and dirt. "You are a strange human..."

"Hn..." She retorted in a very decent impression of himself.

Sesshoumaru cocked a brow at her retort. "Rubbing off on you, am I? I doubt, highly, that I have more to say than you this night. Are you not upset with me for avoiding you?"

 _ **We should definitely rub her...**_

 _'Quiet!'_

"Hn..." Rin hummed, smiling adoringly up at him.

"So... You have nothing to say to me then? No inquiries, no chides, or need of my attention?"

 _ **She should have ALL of our attention!**_

 _'...'_

"Hn..." She hummed again before sighing and looking away from him, the smirk fading from her lips as she stared back up at the moon.

"I see.." He said quietly, a little crestfallen.

"Hn..." She retorted again.

Sesshoumaru could hear his inner yokai laughing at him. He had to fight back a growl.

 _ **Haha... She wins again, Great Lord!**_

He suddenly found himself compelled to be close to her. To his immense annoyance, he sat, right on the ground next to the scantily dressed human woman. His silk clad knee leaning gently against her barely covered outer thigh. He stared, slightly wide-eyed at the contact, the tingly sensation this small amount of touching gave him shocking him to his core.

Rin was shocked and also amused but, at the moment she was refusing him attention so she kept her face as blank as she could and simply lay there, staring at the moon. Her eyes also widened slightly at the feel of their legs touching but, when he didn't move away from her, she relaxed again.

Sesshoumaru sensed she was purposely ignoring him now and took the time to examine her properly. His golden eyes started at her bare feet, trailing his gaze up her legs, taking a moment to relish in the sight of his knee pressed against her thigh, up her curved hips, her slender arms were crossed lazily over her chest, up to her chin, her pink lips were slightly parted, her chestnut eyes, which were now staring back at him and were slightly wide.

Sesshoumaru stopped breathing altogether. He hadn't even noticed the woman's attention redirect toward him. He was so caught up in the sight of her and the feeling of their legs touching, he had lost himself for a moment. He stared back at her, though, his face masked from her analytic and slightly shocked stare.

"Hn..." Rin mused again, pulling herself up and leaning on her elbows to observe him more closely. Their faces only a few heads length apart now. Suddenly she smiled, her features mischievous.

"Cease your game, human." He said, his tone annoyed now.

Rin rolled her eyes dramatically at him before rolling onto her side and refusing to look at him. Rin sighed and closed her eyes. _'Yes... I could definitely sleep here now...'_

Sesshoumaru growled at her, not liking the sudden distance she had put between them. "You will not turn your back on your lord!"

Rin sighed again, much too tired to play this game with him any longer. She stood, standing over him, her eyes fierce with determination, her hands on her hips.

Half expecting another row, Sesshoumaru stood as well, towering over her in all his massive and intimidating glory.

"Fine," Rin said, submitting to his request but, grabbing his large clawed hand in her small human one and pulling him with her as she walked them back into the Shiro and down the corridor towards her bedchamber.

Sesshoumaru snarled at her touch but did not pull away. "Where are we going, human?"

"I am tired. And, my name is Rin, Sesshoumaru-sama. It would be nice if you could at least remember my name." She snapped as she stifled a yawn.

He growled again and grumbled, "Your name is irrelevant."

Rin ignored this as she opened her shoji and pulled him inside her dimly lit room. She let his hand fall and shut the shoji shut behind them before plopping down on her futon and looking up at him expectantly.

Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment before taking in his surroundings. There were discarded kimono layers draped over most of the room, piles of books and scrolls littered the floor near her futon and there were combs and jewels strewn half-hazard here and there. "You are a messy human." He decided, glancing at her before sitting stiffly at the end of her futon, his back turned to her as he continued to survey her room.

"Hai..." She said, looking around her room with a smile, not caring at all what he thought about her being messy. "I get distracted is all..." She added before laying on her stomach right next to him. She leaned her head against the palm of her hand as she stared up at him. "I am happy you have come to your senses and have decided to stop avoiding me."

Sesshoumaru blinked at her a few times before narrowing his eyes and growling. "Insolent girl..."

"Hai..." She agreed with a smile.

Sesshoumaru sighed heavily and fell backward on her futon, the will to argue leaving him completely. He stared at the shadows on her ceiling being cast by the flickering candle light, as he listened to her heart beat and breathed in the smell of spring. The scent that he'd been avoiding for many moons totally enveloping him now, setting his insides on fire.

Rin crawled over to him, hovering now over his face. His golden eyes locked with hers and for a moment his mask disappeared. "Your bed is oddly comfortable..." He said quietly, almost whispering to her.

Rin noded silently, a smirk on her lips before she curled up next to him, her back pressed against his side. "I've missed you too..." She whispered before she finally fell asleep.

Sesshoumaru stared deadpanned at the flickering ceiling. _'How did she know I'd missed her? I never said anything of the sort...'_ He had a sudden urge to flee, and tried to but in his dazed moment of weakness mokomoko had wrapped itself around the girl's waist and refused to let go of her. When he tried to pull away and stand, it only pulled her further into his side, almost onto his chest. Sesshoumaru stared wide-eyed at the girl curled up so close to him, shivers trailing down his spine, making his heart pound painfully in his chest.

 _'Does she not sense danger? This is like... Like a mouse cuddled up to a cat...'_

 _ **How could she sense what does not exist? We would never harm our mate!**_

 _'You cannot lay claim to a human! I forbid it!'_

 _ **Haha... You can moan and complain and whine all you like, Great Lord... It makes no difference to me. She is the one.**_

Sesshoumaru growled at his inner yokai, causing Rin to stir. She turned in her sleep, using his chest as a pillow now. Her arms wrapped around him possessively and she buried her face into the crook of his neck, her soft wafts of breath sending shivers down his spine.

Sesshoumaru gasped at the sudden closeness of the human woman. His eyes wide and slightly pink. He didn't know what to do, he stiffened at the feeling of her arms moving around him, tried desperately to ignore her breathing against his neck, but the shivers down his spine were enough to undo him completely.

 _'The sensations this human causes me to feel are too much, release her immediately!'_

 _ **Hn... I shan't... WE like it here.**_ His inner demon replied as mokomoko tightened its hold around Rin's waist.

Sesshoumaru growled at himself again, the vibrations rumbling up between their bodies.

Rin pulled him closer, nuzzling into his neck. "My Lord, I am trying to sleep. Can you deal with your internal struggles in the morning?" She whispered into a pointed ear.

Sesshoumaru stiffened again, his very essence froze with him, causing more growls to rumble up between them.

Rin suppressed a laugh as she licked the space just beneath his ear before nibbling the delicate flesh of his lobe.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, a purr-like sound rumbled up between them at her conduct. It was becoming harder and harder to stay in control now. "Rin..." Sesshoumaru pleaded with her, a clawed hand now pressed unconsciously against the small of her back.

Rin stopped her ministrations immediately and laid back down on his chest and closed her eyes. A triumphant smile on her lips.

Sesshoumaru kept his eyes closed as he fought down his inner beast. But, part of him was sorely disappointed that she had ceased her assault on his ear.

 _'This human has no idea what she does to me...'_

 _ **Oh, yes she does...**_

Sesshoumaru blinked at his inner thoughts before looking down at the girl. Her eyes were closed but there was a definite smile on her lips. "What has you amused now, Rin?"

Rin giggled as her name on his tongue hit her ears for a second time. "You called me by my name..."

Sesshoumaru stared down at her as her expression slowly changed from amused to relaxed as she began to drift off again. His own expression softened as he watched her sleep. _'Well... She's not ugly...'_

 _ **She is beautiful...**_

 _'Pft... She is human...'_

 _ **Irrelevant... She is ours.**_

Sesshoumaru took a single clawed digit and stroked the length of her cheek.

 _'She is soft...'_

 _ **Naturally...**_

 _'Hn...'_

Two decisions were made between Sesshoumaru and his inner yokai that night. One: He would call the human Geiko by her name. Two: He would never avoid or turn Rin away again. If she wanted his company, he would appease her... And himself.


End file.
